Church watching

I recently had the opportunity to visit a church facility for a community program - a facility I had never been to before. I enjoy such experiences, making observations of people, places and things to which I am a stranger.

First off, I apparently didn't follow my Google Maps directions accurately though I wouldn't say I was lost. But it did lead into another Norton tour - infamous for finding obscure points which aren't usually highlighted on the tourist brochures. In this case, I passed the former home of a U.S. President. I eventually found the location without too much difficulty.

From the outside, the facility looked something akin to a spaceship or a large egg standing on end - not a structure that would be immediately recognizable as a church. And whether coincidence or not, many of the cars in the parking lot had the same bumper stickers, "God Bless the Whole World with No Exceptions".

Inside the egg, the accoustics were good. Being an egg, the ceiling was huge and the room was surrounded by stained glass. It's interesting to contrast such an auditorium with our square windowless box. I guess many churches sacrifice accoustics and aesthetics in exchange for maximizing space to accomodate more people.

Beyond the physical characteristics and layout, I get a kick checking out what's in the pew racks of the churches I visit. Does the church utilize pew Bibles and what version do they use? Do they use giving envelopes and how many funds do they have? Do they use a registration/response card and what information to they solicit?

I learn a lot about a church from just these simple observations.